How to Deal With Zoom Anxiety: 10 Tips

Online school can be great for introverts, but zoom class still has it’s scary moments. If you are someone like me who gets anxiety even on zoom, no worries! We have got you covered with these zoom-anxiety tips and tricks. Anxiety isn’t a walk in the park, as it often keeps students from being able to engage in class. Roughly 30% of teens struggle with this; you are definitely not alone. Here are 6 things I do that will hopefully work for you to reduce the zoom-anxiety.

1. Remind Yourself of the Reality 

Here is one reality: especially in zoom class, other people really don’t care. If you answer a question wrong or make a mistake, your classmates aren’t going to care like you may think they do. Reminding yourself of this can be very comforting if you are feeling anxious about a mistake you made, or anxious at the possibility of making one. 

2. Practice Mindfulness

As always, mindfulness is a great way to help your anxiety in any situation. This usually looks  like taking deep breaths and being aware that everything is totally okay.

3. Turn Off Your Camera

A lot of times there is pressure to have your camera on, especially if everyone else does. It should be totally fine if your camera is off. Turning it off gives you the freedom to reset without the pressure of people watching. For all they know, you probably just don’t have it on because of internet issues.

4. Have a Dance Party

Despite how weird this may sound, it actually works great. (Considering your camera is off… Unless you’re really brave.) I have to admit, I do it quite often. By having your own dance party, you are taking away some of the  value from the zoom class. Usually it’s still easy to focus on the class, but it can make it seem less important and therefore less scary. I highly suggest you try this!

5. Relate to Others About It

Talk to your friends, family, peers, etc. if you are struggling with anxiety in zoom. You will feel a lot better to talk to people who are able to relate to this same struggle. If you do have someone like this, try sending them a simple text when you get anxious in zoom. For example, the other day I sent my friend a quick text that said ‘Omg! I’m in a zoom class and I’m so scared the teacher will call on me haha’; even something like that can make a difference in how you are feeling. 

6. Let Your Teachers Know

While this might not always be an option, if you are comfortable enough with a teacher to send them an email about what you are struggling with, they are most likely going to be understanding. They might even try to come up with solutions with you. The ‘What Now?’ below has an email template you could use.

‘What Now?’: Email Example

You can use this email if you want to reach out to a teacher about your zoom anxiety.

Hello teacher’s name,

I wanted to send this email because in class on zoom I have been feeling anxious to (ex. Turn on camera, answer questions, contribute). I thought it would be a good idea to let you know, and I hope you understand I am doing my best!

Thank you,

Your name

If you are struggling with zoom anxiety, be sure to try one of these tips that may be very helpful for you. Remember: you are not alone in this! Zoom can be intimidating sometimes, but it doesn’t have to always be like that. 

– A Real Teen

Photo by Gabriel Benois on Unsplash